The Malaysia government’s switch to electric vehicles, first announced by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the tabling of Budget 2024, will begin this year, says minister of natural resources and environmental sustainability, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Speaking to reporters after the soft launch of the International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM) 2024 yesterday, the minister said the transition will happen in phases, as the government will need to evaluate the financial implications on the various agencies.
“As announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last year, the government fleet will include EVs within this year. However, the implementation will not be done fully as it involves a huge number. We need to consider the financial implications as well,” the minister said yesterday.
The government has not released any details on the procurement of the EVs just yet, so we can only speculate for now. But there is a possibility of a Proton model filling that role, since the national carmaker’s first EV model is said to be coming “very soon”, according to Proton CEO Li Chunrong.
READ MORE: Budget 2024 – Gov to start using EVs as official cars, EV individual income tax rebates extended
The government, particularly via the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Bin Tengku Abdul Aziz, has also been actively participating in EV launches such as the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal, so those could be possible options as well.
But if the intention for the government is to replace its existing fleet of Toyota Vellfire MPVs, then the only likely choice will be the Maxus MIFA 9, which was launched here in Malaysia late last year – and what do you know, the launch event was attended by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself, alongside four other cabinet ministers.
ALSO READ: 10,000 EV chargers in Malaysia by 2025? MITI to revise “aggressive” target
[Source: The Star]
